Trip report compiled by Tour Leader Adam Walleyn All images by Clive Ireland. Magellanic Plover by Clive Ireland

Transcription

1 Chile Birds, Wildlife and Andean Landscapes 2 nd to 14 th December 2015 (13 days) & Arica Extension 27 th November to 2 nd December 2015 (6 days) Trip Report Magellanic Plover by Clive Ireland Trip report compiled by Tour Leader Adam Walleyn All images by Clive Ireland

2 RBT Trip Report Chile The tour began with the pre-trip extension to the far north of the country. The group convened at the Santiago airport and embarked on the lengthy flight north to Arica, just south of the Peruvian border. We headed straight to the coast and were soon admiring such typical Humboldt Current species as Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Booby, Red-legged and Guanay Cormorant, Gray and Belcher s Gull and the incredible Inca Tern. We then headed inland, a short way into the Azapa valley where we checked various Gray Gull flowering shrubs for hummingbirds. A flowering Lantana was being attended by several Peruvian Sheartails; the males showing off their long tail streamers. Oasis Hummingbirds were seen at numerous bushes, but sadly the critically endangered Chilean Woodstar was nowhere to be found - the species having now almost disappeared from this valley which is one of its last strongholds. Next up, a local contact took us to an area where Peruvian Thick-knees had been frequenting and we soon found three of them roosting in a riverbed, perfectly camouflaged - fantastic! We ended the day back at the coast, enjoying a sunset over the Pacific, with roosting gulls and waders all around us. We then spent a full day exploring the verdant canyons and river valleys that cut oasis strips through the absolute desert that is the Atacama. A first stop at the mouth of the Camarones River produced some surprises - migrant Chimney Swifts and Cliff Swallows, along with the unlikely sea-level trio of Andean Coot, Puna Ibis and Andean Duck! Also here, were Chilean Seaside Cinclodes, our first Chilean endemic! We moved inland up the Camarones and after a bit of a walk located a pair of the much-wanted Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant showing off their double crest and even building a nest. We moved on to the Chaca Valley, the last real stronghold of the endemic Chilean Woodstar and had lunch at a private property that is being managed for the conservation of this species. Lunch was delicious and numerous hummingbirds appeared as we ate - but they were all Oasis Hummers We checked some other flowers that had been planted for the woodstar and finally a male briefly put in appearance but quickly disappeared, leaving us a bit tense! After a bit of an anxious wait a female showed up right in front of us and stayed for as long as we wanted, while the male made a couple more visits. A bittersweet moment, we were thrilled by the sighting, although the future looks bleak for this one. We had one more target left in the Chaca Valley and found this rather quickly as a pair of Peruvian Thick-knee

3 RBT Trip Report Chile stunning Tamarugo Conebills showed very well near a Tamarugo grove. A very successful day! Next up we spent a morning in the Lluta Valley. We began with a few hours along the coast and river mouth, there were birds everywhere! Out to sea and just beyond the surf break were Peruvian Terns, Peruvian Diving Petrels and even a couple of Burmeister s Porpoise. Along the shore were thousands of The tiny Chilean Woodstar critically endangered Elegant Terns, hundreds of Black Skimmers, Grey Gulls and much more. A bit of a commotion ensued when a large bird came in flushing all the others. It was a South Polar Skua - a most unexpected encounter! The bird then landed in front of us and proceeded to walk right up to us - wow! Small pools held an impressive variety of waders including Chilean rarities like Western Sandpiper and Killdeer. Eventually we headed inland up the Lluta valley, adding Peruvian Meadowlark, before continuing on the long drive up into the high Andes. We headed through the stark, birdless Atacama and onwards through cacti and shrub to a small forest of the increasingly vanishing Polylepis. Stops along the way produced Andean Swift, Dark-winged Canastero at its huge stick nest in a Candlebra cactus, and a perched Aplomado Falcon. A slow walk through the high-altitude forest produced a flurry of new birds like Streak-backed Tit- Spinetail, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Band-tailed Seedeater, and a brief flyover of Thick-billed Siskin, a rare bird in Chile. An Ornate Tinamou caused a gasp when it exploded from cover right at our feet and we flushed another with the bus as we left the site. After some more driving we arrived at our base in Putre at dusk, with Andean Hillstars zipping around our hotel in the fading light. Torrent Duck pair Heading away in the chilly early morning darkness, we set off for an exciting day on the Altiplano. The day was characterized by sunshine and unbelievable scenery, replete with smoking volcanoes, glaciers and the endless plains of the Altiplano. It was a long drive to our destination, the salt flats of Surire, and we made frequent stops to observe birds along the way. Some of the better sightings included two groups of the rare Puna Rhea, a family group of 5 Torrent

4 RBT Trip Report Chile Ducks, Andean Goose, Puna Ibis, Grey-breasted Seedsnipe with a small chick, Andean Lapwing, Andean Gull, Mountain Caracara, Puna Miner, White-winged Cinclodes, Puna Ground Tyrant, Black Siskin plus hundreds of Vicunas! At last we arrived at the Salar - a stunningly beautiful site and bright splashes of pink indicated the presence of numerous flamingos! We walked out to the first group of flamingos, hoping we might be able to locate the rare Puna Flamingo and eventually worked out that in fact almost this entire group were Puna Flamingos - 96 in all! There were a few Puna Flamingo were present in good numbers! stunning Andean Flamingos as well, but only a couple of Chilean Flamingos - normally the commonest species up here! Once we had fully admired the flamingos and compared field marks of the three species, we also scoped up Andean Avocet, Puna Plover and Andean Negrito. We checked out a couple more areas of the Salar and had lunch while watching another group of Puna and Andean Flamingos, with Vicunas walking amongst them. Our first of many Mountain Viscacha also put in an appearance here as we ate lunch, as did Cordilleran Canastero. The lengthy drive back to Putre was enlivened by an enormous flock of about 500 Bright-rumped Yellow Finch feeding on some barren plains. We had enough time for a bit of birding around Putre where a highlight was a very responsive pair of D Orbigny s Chat Tyrant. We started out the next morning in the Putre area where the shrubby gorges hold a number of specialties. We did very well here and saw some quality birds as the sun crested the ridge - highlighted by great views of Canyon Canastero crawling around at our feet, the scarce Whitethroated Earthcreeper and several stunning Andean Hillstar and massive Giant Hummingbirds. Just as we were leaving the area we finally caught up with Straight-billed Earthcreeper, for great views! We then headed up to the lofty heights of Lauca National Park, dominated by snowcapped Parinacota volcano. Our first stop was in a pin-cushion bog where we had nice views of Cordilleran Canastero and White-winged Diuca Finch and then suddenly a Diademed Sandpiper Plover flew in and landed right in front of us. We could watch at leisure, a pair of this scarce and legendary wader, a great moment! Another bog added White-browed Ground Tyrant and we also stopped off at a colony of Andean Flickers. Small lakes and Andean Flamingo stunning!

5 RBT Trip Report Chile Giant Coots at nest ponds had nesting Giant Coots, along with Silvery Grebe, Andean Duck and Puna Teal. We ended up at the spectacular Lake Chungara near the Bolivian border and at 4,500 meters above sea level. Here the highlight was mammalian - an excellent encounter with a tame little White-bellied Akodon. We tried a few more sites on the way back to down to Arica and ended up on the coast for a late dinner, tired but pleased with our very successful excursion. Our flight south was not until midday and so we had a leisurely morning birding the Lluta Valley for a second time, seeing now-familiar species and having a great encounter with Burrowing Owl. Back along the coast, the South Polar Skua was still on the beach, but not looking particularly well, and a Cabot s Tern offshore was a bit of a surprise. Peruvian Diving Petrels actually showed quite well through the scope and there were a number of marine mammals present: surfing South American Sea Lions, more Burmeister s Porpoise and both Bottlenose and Risso s Dolphins. Eventually we arrived at the airport and flew back to Santiago to settle into our hotel and start the main portion of the Burrowing Parrot tour. Andean Flicker peering out of his nest hole We were out of the city early for a full day excursion up the Yeso Valley - one of the those days you remember for a long time - great weather, incredible scenery, and lots of great birds seen extremely well! We started off at a bridge over the Maipo River, where a pair of stunning Torrent Ducks posed in the scope for as long as we wanted! We then headed up the valley and birded some cliffs and scrub picking up three Andean Condors overhead, several Chilean Mockingbirds and then enjoying incredible views of a pair of endemic Crag Chilia running around just

6 RBT Trip Report Chile meters away from us, occasionally grabbing insect prey and carrying them off to their nest on the cliff face, only to return to continue searching for more insects - great stuff! As we watched the chilias, a White-sided Hillstar male suddenly appeared and perched in a shrub, another tricky bird! Next up we found our first tapaculo of the trip, the extroverted Moustached Turca, running around in the open and sitting up calling in a bush with its wings quivering. With the morning wearing on, it was time to gain some Greater Yellow Finch altitude and head up for the more barren slopes. As we ascended we added White-browed and Cinereous Ground Tyrant, Mountain Parakeet, Rufous-banded Miner, Scaly-throated Earthcreeper, Grey-flanked Cinclodes, Sharpbilled Canastero, Yellow-rumped Siskin and Greater Yellow Finch. Past the Yeso reservoir we had great views of several Black-fronted Ground Tyrant, usually a scarce bird, and numerous Grey-breasted Seedsnipe, some of the males sitting out on exposed rocks to utter their great calls. We then drove up to a bog and had not even got out of the car before we spotted a Diademed Sandpiper Plover which offered incredible views and photographic opportunities. Going on a walk through the bog, we found another, even more cooperative DSP - better views could not have been possible! We headed still further up in elevation, towards the Argentinian border looking for miners and suddenly the scarce Creamy-rumped Miner appeared alongside three Rufous-banded Miners offering great comparisons. We also tracked down an Ochre-fronted Ground Tyrant before working our way back down into the central valley and Santiago - what a day! Diademed Plover - one of four that we saw on the trip! Next morning we headed for the coast and the Maipo estuary. We started off in some coastal scrub where a bit of strategizing produced wonderful views of the endemic Dusky Tapaculo. Spectacled Tyrants and Rufoustailed Plantcutter were easier to see, as they sat out, in the open. We then moved on to the reed beds and willows which held Wren-like Rushbird, Many-colored Rush Tyrant and best of all, an absolutely superb Ticking Doradito, arguably the most difficult of the country s endemics to track down! We then turned our

7 RBT Trip Report Chile attention towards the masses of terns and waders roosting out on the estuary and added some nice species like Hudsonian Godwit, Collared Plover and South American Snipe. Carrying on, we checked out some coastal lagoons and added a nice selection of waterfowl at close range - Black-necked and Coscoroba Swan, Chiloe Wigeon, Lake Duck, Great and White-tufted Grebe plus a very responsive pair of Tufted Tit-Tyrant. We ended our day s birding in Vina del Mar along the rocky coasts and then checked in to our lovely hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean - as Creamy-rumped Miner the sun sank over the water we could admire Inca Terns literally outside our room windows - incredible!! A much-anticipated pelagic trip into the Humboldt Current was our next day s main activity. We boarded our boat and headed out into a short but steep swell. Passing through throngs of Franklin s Gulls we soon motored through good numbers of Peruvian Diving Petrels, some of them swimming right in front of the boat. Sooty Shearwaters were gradually replaced by Pinkfooted Shearwaters and as we began to chum we attracted in a few Black-browed and Salvin s Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel, Westland and White-chinned Petrel, Wilson s Storm-Petrel and Chilean Skua. At our furthest point, some serious excitement ensued when a Juan Fernandez Petrel came racing around the boat on fast wings offering extremely good views as it made a close approach! Just as we were finishing up the chumming effort, we were graced with a goliath Northern Royal Albatross powering in and landing on the water, a great way to end the trip as we slowly motored back to port with the sun shining, wind and sea at our back and even a glass of red wine in hand! Once back on dry land we scoured a couple more wetlands, adding nothing new, and then visited Isla Cachagua where we really enjoyed scoping up a colony of Humboldt Penguins, but these were perhaps overshadowed by incredible views of 4 Marine Otters - an endangered species which we could enjoy watching scampering on the rocks, swimming, diving, and consuming a prolific number of crabs! We returned to our Vina del Mar hotel with enough time to enjoy and photograph the Inca Tern the best looking tern in the world resident Inca Terns before dinner.

8 RBT Trip Report Chile Humboldt Seabirding: Northern Royal Albatross, Salvin s Albatross and Pink-footed Shearwater! Leaving the coast behind, we now headed inland into La Campana National Park. Walking through the wine palms and cacti this was a very different habitat to others we had visited and held some great birds. After hearing a couple of distant White-throated Tapaculo, we soon had one perched up in the open singing its heart out. This can be a tricky endemic to find, but not today, and we would go on to have a couple more great encounters with this lovely bird. Here too there were more Giant Hummingbird and Moustached Turca (the latter at one stage replacing a White-throated Tapaculo on his perch!) plus our first Thorn-tailed Rayadito and Fireeyed Diucon. We had to work a little harder for the endemic Dusky-tailed Canastero, but eventually found a pair of this stunning little furnarid and, from the same spot, we had a great response from a pair of Striped Woodpecker. Another highlight of the morning s birding here were the numerous sightings of Degu - a superb little rodent that is closely associated with the endemic Chilean wine palms growing here. Leaving the park and heading towards Santiago we had time for some explorations of wetlands in the Batuco area. Batuco Lagoon itself was full of birds though a long walk failed to produce anything new apart from Cinereous Harrier. We had more success at a private lagoon where we scoped up a stunning Rosy-billed Pochard and finally found the much-wanted Black-headed Duck for some great views at this obligate parasite. Next morning we departed Santiago for the lengthy southbound drive to Talca. A great surprise, not far south of the city, was seeing a flock of Burrowing Parrots cross the freeway, followed by a flyover of three more at a gas station! It was late in the morning when we arrived in the Talca area and we tried a somewhat unconventional method of seeing Chilean Tinamou. After about an hour of waiting, with only distant audio response and a briefly seen bird by the leader only, we were starting to despair of ever getting a good look at a tinamou on this trip. Yet, as we drove off, we found a pair sheltering under a bush that then proceeded to feed right out in the open amongst flowering dandelions for as long as we wanted now, this is how to see a tinamou!! Following lunch we headed into the scenic Maule Valley, a more expected area to find Burrowing Parrot, and were not disappointed, with several seen feeding around Black-headed Duck we scanned a lot of waterbodies

9 RBT Trip Report Chile at close quarters. We also scoped up a Bronze-winged Duck, another much wanted species that is here, at the northern edge of its range. After soaking up some sun and great scenery in the valley, we returned to our lovely lodgings, set amidst the Nothofagus forests. We had an early dinner planned but just before dinner we heard an Austral Pygmy Owl tooting. The bird didn t want to cooperate, however, and so we carried on to enjoy dinner. We Chilean Tinamou in the open! tried the pygmy owl again after dinner and this time we were more successful with a bird coming in, for great looks, in the failing light. We then carried on, into the forest and spent quite a while waiting at a territory of Rufous-legged Owl. After a long wait it seemed there would be no response tonight when, suddenly, the bird was growling angrily right above our heads. Sadly all we saw was a shadow drifting off through the trees and the frustration was palpable as it seemed we had lost our opportunity. Minutes later the shadow returned and was lit up on its perch, glaring at us with its wings drooping - what a moment! After giving us great views the birds faded back into the forest and began calling - hearing their shrieks and hoots was as good as seeing the birds themselves! It was late but we all went to bed elated tonight. Today would be spent in Altos de Lircay. Immediately after getting out of the vehicle we had a flock of White-throated Treerunners climbing the trees around us. We then set off on our walk through the forest. Within minutes we located one of the top birds of the trip - a spectacular female Magellanic Woodpecker! We watched her land in a dead tree, creep down the branch and enter her nest hole! Waiting for her to depart we had more good views as she faded back into the forest. We carried on, on a big high, but with the scarce and local Chestnutthroated Huet-Huet firmly in our minds. We would have a frustrating morning with the species, some people glimpsing one or two, everyone hearing them at close range, but mostly frustration! Still it was a fantastic morning - Chucao Tapaculos responded to the huet-huet call on a couple of occasions and we had an outrageous encounter with a normallyshy Chilean Hawk that swooped in and Male Thin Tree Lizards landed

10 RBT Trip Report Chile right in front of us, sitting on an open branch, just two meters above the recorder that was playing the call of the huet-huet. The hawk was looking very confusedly at the source of the call! Other nice birds through the morning included Green-backed Firecrown, Striped Woodpecker and Austral Parakeet while walking amidst this ancient Nothofagus forest was an experience in itself. Nearing the park entrance, having accepted that we were going to dip on a good view of the huet-huet, a small noise beside the road caused us to stop. Not a Magellanic Woodpecker at the nest hole minute later, two Chestnut-throated Huet- Huets crossed the road and the pair crossed several more times over the next few minutes, sometimes running, sometimes walking, sometimes pausing in the middle of the road. What a pull-back!! And before leaving the park, we returned to the Magellanic Woodpecker nest, watching and photographing at our leisure as the male and female took turns coming and going from the nest with beaks full of food, the male s red head looking like it was on fire when sunlight caught it. The long drive back to Santiago was nothing at all after the great success experienced in this area! With a mid-day flight today, we had time only for a brief excursion up to the lofty heights of Farellones and Valle Nevado. Again, the scenery up here was nothing short of breathtaking and we were successful in adding a few new species to our lists - Rufous-naped Ground Tyrant, Black-billed Shrike Tyrant and displaying Band-tailed Sierra Finch. A male White-sided Hillstar also showed particularly well here. All too soon it was time to head back down the switchbacks and on to the airport to catch our flight to Osorno in the Chilean Lake District. After arrival there, we were eventually on our way, driving through this lush agricultural area, passing fields full of Black-faced Ibis, when the vehicle came to a screeching halt. We piled out and were watching a group of four Slender-billed Chilean Hawk looking for a huet-huet lunch!

11 RBT Trip Report Chile Parakeets and admiring their uniquely-evolved bill - our final Chilean endemic in the bag! We carried on to Puyehue National Park, had a couple of brief encounters with Chucao Tapaculo and carried on through Nothofagus/Chusquea forest right up to the tree line and our lovely accommodations under a recently active volcano! Pre-breakfast birding around the lodge was exceptionally rewarding as we coaxed out a pair of Black-throated Huet-Huet which emerged from their impenetrable bamboo hideouts into the low branches of some trees, giving unbeatable views for a couple of minutes. Moments later a Chucao Tapaculo casually strolled across the road! Breakfast tasted especially great this morning and we admired Patagonian Sierra Finches out the restaurant windows as we ate. We then headed out for a long Black-throated Huet-huet emerges from the bamboo! walk down the mountain. Our next tapaculo to fall was the little Magellanic Tapaculo, showing superbly well, right in front of us. A singing Patagonian Tyrant was very responsive and we had great looks at it. Green-backed Firecrowns were common but always seen zipping off, until finally we tracked one down feeding in a firebush and perching - his crown was indeed on fire! This left two targets - Des Murs Wiretail and Ochre-flanked Tapaculo. We heard many wiretails and enjoyed various views of them. They were invariably skulking and we had to piece together the birds as their tiny bodies and incredibly long, thin tails were rarely in view at the same time. The last tapaculo, there was no sign of, so we headed outside the park to another area. As we enjoyed our picnic lunch, an Ochre-flanked Tapaculo started calling, but behind a locked gate, so we had to come up with a cunning plan to have any hope of it. Actually our plan worked out pretty well as this inveterate skulker actually emerged into an open area where most people had pretty good views, although a couple of people had the wrong angle and had to leave disappointed. We continued through the afternoon, eventually nailing great views of a Des Murs Wiretail in the open - the only problem being this individual didn t have tail streamers! We finally tracked down another Ochreflanked Tapaculo which called incessantly at agonizingly close range, however all we could ever see of it was a shadow moving in the bamboo and Ochre-flanked Tapaculo at last!! And

12 RBT Trip Report Chile eventually we had to leave it in peace. We returned to our lodge late in the day and celebrated a four-tapaculo day and an eight-tapaculo trip with a round Pisco sours! Early morning saw us tracking down Chilean Pigeons which had been common, but shy. This morning we finally saw them in all their finery. We also put in another effort for the Ochre-flanked Tapaculo and saw it again, if no better than the previous day! With our only persistent rain of the trip setting in we decided to make tracks for the coast and Puerto Montt where we had some time to bird before catching our next flight. The tide was not in our favor for coastal birds, but after lunch we Magellanic Penguin on the same day found a nice spot to see a few waterbirds, including our first Imperial Shags. While scanning around, a Des Murs Wiretail was heard in some fairly open scrub so we gave it one last shot and had a great response from a pair - finally sitting out in the open showing off their amazing tails - wow! Incredibly enough, an Ochre-flanked Tapaculo started calling as we watched the wiretails and, since the area was relatively open, we just had to give it one last shot. Sure enough, there was soon an Ochre-flanked Tapaculo clambering about in the open, securing perfect views for everyone - now all eight tapaculos were really in the bag! We headed to the airport and caught our flight right down to the bottom of Chile at Punta Arenas. A cold westerly wind greeted us as we set out from the airport. Although it was late in the day, we had plenty of sunlight left so raced out to Seno Otway, passing roadside Bronze-winged Ducks, Black-chested Buzzard Eagle and hundreds of Upland Geese as we went. The caretakers graciously had kept the place open for us and we took a bracing walk out to the coast where a group of Magellanic Penguins were milling about on the beach and slowly making their way inland to their breeding burrows. Satiating ourselves upon the penguins we checked out some scrubby areas and soon had the uncommon Austral Canastero perched right up, singing its head off in the wind, a great result. As we watched the canastero, a gorgeous Cinereous Harrier came sailing in and was suddenly pursuing a hapless Buff-winged Cinclodes. The cinclodes could not shake the harrier and eventually the harrier picked off its prey in mid-air carrying it off to consume it - wow! King Penguins were one of the trip s highlights

13 RBT Trip Report Chile Before leaving the reserve we also scoped up a stunning Rufous-chested Dotterel and this would prove to be our only one of the trip! We finally checked into our hotel in Punta Arenas on the shore of the Straits of Magellan rather exhausted but very satisfied with a long, varied and productive day, knowing another long day was just around the corner! The sun beat us up this morning as we had a little lie in, a big breakfast and then joined the ferry cue for Tierra del Fuego! While waiting for the ferry to depart, we enjoyed Flying Steamer Ducks, Dolphin Gulls and a passing Peale s Dolphin while out to sea we could see swarms of seabirds. Eventually the ferry, bound for Porvenir, was away and the first few minutes provided some hectic sea birding - many Black-browed Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel and Chilean Skua, a few Culpeo Magellanic Diving Petrel and a few Southern Fulmar. As we passed this initial feeding frenzy, birds were fewer in number but we could concentrate on each bird and added several species over the crossing - an unexpected Brown Skua, a few White-chinned Petrel and Westland Petrel and also two much appreciated Grayheaded Albatross. Shortly before arriving at Porvenir a Common Diving Petrel crossed the bow and we also saw our only Flightless Steamer Duck near the wharf. We were now on the land of fire and after stopping for a coffee to warm up after the chilling winds, we headed out onto the pond-dotted steppe. Frequent stops produced Chilean Flamingo, Least Seedsnipe, Magellanic Oystercatcher, Two-banded Plover, and both Common and Short-billed Miner; the latter is something of a Tierra del Fuego specialty. Eventually we arrived at a large saline lake and set out for a hike along the shoreline in search of the one and only Magellanic Plover. We hiked and hiked but no sign of the bird and doubts slowly started to creep in. Where was the bird, one of the most important of the trip?? No need to worry, as it suddenly appeared right in front of us, completely unconcerned by our presence - a new family for all participants and an unbeatable encounter - winner of the bird of the trip vote by a landslide! After satiating ourselves with views and photographs we returned to the vehicle adding Patagonian Yellow Finch in the process. We now had a long drive ahead of us to the rather disparagingly named Bahia Inutil - in contrast to earlier seamen it would be far from useless to Patagonian Gray Fox

14 RBT Trip Report Chile us! A stop en route at a brushy gulley had us scoping up a sleepy Magellanic Horned Owl. Shortly before we reached the bay, we paused to scan a large group of Upland Geese and to our delight found that it included a pair of the now very rare Ruddy-headed Geese, a species that sadly seems to be bounding headlong towards extirpation in South America. Eventually we reached the bay and it held what we had come for - a small and recently established colony of King Penguins in all! No chicks were present but some birds were cradling eggs on their feet and with the Patagonian wind screaming in our faces and Black-browed Albatross cruising just off-shore this experience had a very sub-antarctic feel to it! The drive back to Porvenir was done in high spirits and we had a jovial evening dinner as we celebrated the day and Sue s birthday. Our final full day of the trip had arrived and we set out in a classic Patagonian westerly. Heading along the Straits of Magellan we were lucky and found our only pair of Ashy-headed Geese, amongst the much more numerous Upland Geese. We then crossed on the ferry to Punta Delgada back on the South American mainland. Few seabirds were about, although a brief sighting of Commerson s Dolphin was a highlight for some. In such a wind we knew we had our work cut out for us today with just a few targets left to search We worked hard for Band-tailed Earthcreeper for. We started out looking for Silver Teal only to find a locked gate - fortunately a pair were swimming with their chicks in a nearby ditch! Next up we searched the area where Band-tailed Earthcreeper was first discovered in Chile - no luck in the howling wind, unsurprisingly, although a couple Austral Canasteros were here. We then set off on a very long drive through the Patagonian steppe around Pali Aike. Lesser Rheas and Guanacos dotted the steppe and a pair of White-bridled Finch provided an improbably bright splash of color on the otherwise muted colors - this scarce and declining finch showed exceptionally well for us! We then located our first of the very beautiful Tawny-throated Dotterel and at the same time the striking Chocolate-vented Tyrant. Better success than we d hoped in these conditions! We continued through the endless steppe seeing lots more White-bridled Finch lit up the steppes!

15 RBT Trip Report Chile dotterels, rheas and guanacos, plus both species of foxes including three pup Colpeo Foxes feeding on an Upland Goose that their mother had caught for them and left outside the burrow! We tried a bit more for Band-tailed Earthcreeper in some sparsely-shrubbed areas - in truth it seemed like a futile effort in the howling wind, but suddenly one appeared and eventually perched up on top of a bush for all to see - what an exciting result! Eventually we returned to the paved road and back-tracked a bit for a last, slim chance at Kelp Goose. Almost immediately, a pair was located in the distance and we drove closer for a good look - success! With all our targets secured we headed back to Punta Arenas in very high spirits and made a couple last stops along the coast to have good views and photographs of Dolphin Gulls and Rock Shags before our final dinner. The final morning saw a leisurely start with flights up to Santiago and onwards for most of us. This has been an immensely successful trip and thanks go out to the group - such a great bunch of people to travel with - and of course the one and only Enrique Couve - Chile is his backyard and his intimate knowledge of the country and great attention to logistics ensured a smooth and successful trip! Annotated list of Bird species recorded. Nomenclature and taxonomy follows Gill, F & D Donsker (Eds) IOC World Bird List (v 6.1). Tinamous Tinamidae Ornate Tinamou (Nothoprocta ornata) - 2 near Belen, one flushed underfoot and another flushed from the bus. Sue also saw one running near Putre. Chilean Tinamou (Nothoprocta perdicaria) - incredible views of a pair feeding out in the open near Vilches. Rheas - Rheidae Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata) - 2 groups seen en route to Salar Surire included displaying males (tarapacencis) and large numbers in the Patagonian steppe around Pali Aike included one male guarding several striped youngsters (pennata). Ducks, Geese and Swans - Anatidae

16 RBT Trip Report Chile Coscoroba Swan (Coscoroba coscoroba) - a family party seen well on Laguna Cartagena, another family party on Laguna Batuco and a couple flocks near Punta Delgada. Black-necked Swan (Cygnus melancoryphus) - first seen on Laguna Cartagena, also near Puerto Montt and Porvenir. Flying Steamer Duck (Tachyeres patachonicus) - a pair at Punta Arenas, another pair near Porvenir and a single at San Gregorio. Fuegian Steamer Duck (Tachyeres pteneres) - a single bird seen near Porvenir. Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata) - a great trip for this spectacular duck. We first found a family group of male, female and three youngsters at a rushing stream en route to Salar Surire; then we had great views of a pair on a rock below El Yeso; finally a pair swam under the bridge we were standing on at Puyehue. Andean Goose (Chloephaga melanoptera) - good numbers at and en route to Salar Surire; also a few in Lauca. Upland Goose (Chloephaga picta) - a few distant birds at El Yeso, a female in the Maule valley, then many hundreds in the far south. Kelp Goose (Chloephaga hybrida) - our last new bird of the trip, Enrique had a stakeout for this on a rocky shoreline along the Straits of Magellan. Ashy-headed Goose (Chloephaga poliocephala) - a very attractive goose which we were fortunate to find a pair of near Punta Delgada. Ruddy-headed Goose (Chloephaga rubidiceps) - this species is now very rare in South America (as opposed to the Falkland Islands) so we were fortunate to find a pair near Bahia Inutil. Crested Duck (Lophonetta specularioides) - lots at Lauca and en route to Salar Surire (alticola) and then lots again in the far south (specularioides). Bronze-winged Duck (Speculana specularis) - an uncommon and striking southern duck that we scoped up in the Maule Valley and then passed by three more en route to Seno Otway. Chiloe Wigeon (Anas sibilatrix) - another striking duck that was common in the central and southern regions - especially common in the Maule Valley. Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) - quite a few seen around Arica and a few more in central region wetlands. Red Shoveler (Anas platalea) - very common in central region wetlands. White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis) - a pair near Arica and a single at Laguna Batuco.

17 RBT Trip Report Chile Yellow-billed Teal (Anas flavirostris) - good numbers en route to Salar Surire (oxyptera) and then seen commonly in the central region plus just a pair near Porvenir (flavirostris). Yellow-billed Pintail (Anas georgica) - very common in central region wetlands and a few in the far south. Silver Teal (Anas versicolor) - a pair with several chicks near Punta Delgada. Puna Teal (Anas puna) - about 50 at Lauca, mostly on Lake Chungara. Rosy-billed Pochard (Netta peposaca) - an uncommon bird in Chile we did well to find a striking male at Batuco and another pair in the Maule Valley. Black-headed Duck (Heteronetta atricapilla) - after much searching we found 6 birds on a private reservoir near Batuco. Andean Duck (Oxyura ferruginea) - about 30 seen at Lauca, mostly on Lake Chungara. A single bird at Quebrada Camarones was more surprising! Lake Duck (Oxyura vittata) - common in several central region wetlands. New World Quails - Odontophoridae California Quail (Callipepla californica) - an old introduction to Chile, it was common in the central region. Penguins - Spheniscidae King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) - a visit to the recently established colony at Bahia Inutil was a trip highlight. Here we counted about 110 of these impressive penguins. Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) - we saw 16 of these really well at the Seno Otway colony, both on the beach and around their burrows where we also heard their braying calls. A single was seen by some on the Straits of Magellan. Humboldt Penguin (Speniscus humboldti) - around 40 at their breeding colony at Isla Cachagua. Austral Storm Petrels - Oceanitidae Wilson s Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) - around 10 seen on the Valparaiso pelagic, some of them really well. At least some of these birds were the Chilean-breeding race: chilensis or Fuegian Storm Petrel.

18 RBT Trip Report Chile Albatrosses - Diomedeidae Northern Royal Albatross (Diomedea sanfordi) - a single bird arrived just at the end of the chum session off Valparaiso and was much appreciated. This species breeds only in the Chatham Islands and New Zealand! Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) - a few young birds seen on the Valparaiso pelagic; much more numerous in the Straits of Magellan where seen from both the ferry and from shore. Salvin s Albatross (Thalassarche salvini) - the commonest albatross on the Valparaiso pelagic, we had great views of at least 10. This bird only breeds on two remote rock stacks in the middle of the south Pacific off New Zealand! Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) - we were pleased to record 2 birds off the ferry through the Straits of Magellan. Petrels, Shearwaters - Procellaridae Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes giganteus) - a single seen briefly off Valparaiso, then large numbers in the Straits of Magellan both from the ferry and from shore. Northern Giant Petrel (Macronectes halli) - about 6 recorded during the Valparaiso pelagic and seen well. Southern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides) - 5 birds seen from the ferry through the Straits of Magellan shortly after it departed. Prion spp. - Clive had a brief sighting of an unidentified prion on the Valparaiso pelagic. Juan Fernandez Petrel (Pterodroma externa) - a very exciting find, this bird was seen very well during the Valparaiso pelagic on two occasions. White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) - good numbers seen well off the Valparaiso pelagic and a few more in the Straits of Magellan. Westland Petrel (Procellaria westlandica) - about 5 on the Valparaiso pelagic and another 2 on the ferry across the Straits of Magellan showed well. This bird breeds only in temperate rainforest in New Zealand! Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus) - a few on the Valparaiso pelagic, but more impressive were the masses seen swirling just offshore from Vina del Mar.

19 RBT Trip Report Chile Pink-footed Shearwater (Puffinus creatopus) - distant birds offshore at the Rio Maipo then the most common tubenose on the Valparaiso pelagic where is was constantly around the boat during the chumming sessions! Diving Petrels - Pelecanoididae Peruvian Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides garnotii) - good numbers offshore from the Lluta river mouth on both visits actually gave pretty good views from a stable platform. Another 20 on the Valparaiso pelagic were much closer but from a moving boat! Magellanic Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides magellani) - about 10 seen from the ferry across the Straits of Magellan, giving some pretty good views. Common Diving Petrel (Pelecanoides urinatrix)- a single seen by some from the ferry across the Straits of Magellan, presumably of the locally breeding form coppingeri. Grebes - Podicipedidae Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) - just a single seen on a wetland near Valparaiso. White-tufted Grebe (Rollandia rolland) - a few of these attractive grebes on various central region wetlands. Great Grebe (Podiceps major) - small numbers seen regularly on central region wetlands. Silvery Grebe (Podiceps occipitalis) - quite a few in Lauca NP included a displaying pair (juninensis) and a few more seen at Laguna el Peral and Laguna Batuco (occipitalis). Flamingos - Phoenicopteridae Chilean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) - good numbers seen in the far north and the far south. Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) - arguably the best-looking flamingo and an altiplano specialist, we were pleased to see 90 at Salar Surire including many in full breeding colors! James s Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) - we counted 123 at Salar Surire, this is the smallest and rarest of flamingos in Chile so it was great to see so many of them! Ibises - Threskiornithidae

20 RBT Trip Report Chile Black-faced Ibis (Theristicus melanopis) - a single bird at Farellones, a few in the Maule Valley, then large numbers in the lake district and the far south. Seeing some cliff-nesting birds on Tierra del Fuego was neat. Puna Ibis (Plegadis ridgwayi) - a single on the coast at Camerones and 5 more at Arica were unexpected, flocks up on the altiplano at Lauca and en route to Salar Surire were more expected. Herons - Ardeidae Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) - a few sightings in the north and central region. Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) - a breeding colony at Laguna Ventana. Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi) - 2 at the Rio Maipo estuary and 3 at Laguna Batuco. Great Egret (Ardea alba) - a few in the north and central regions. Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) - several seen in coastal areas around Arica. Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) - regular sightings throughout the country, except the far south. Pelicans - Pelecanidae Peruvian Pelican (Pelecanus thagus) - abundant in coastal areas of the north and centre, as far south as Puerto Montt. Boobies - Sulidae Peruvian Booby (Sula variegata) - common in coastal areas of north and centre. Cormorants - Phalacrocoracidae Red-legged Cormorant (Phalacrocorax gaimardi) - arguably the best looking cormorant, we saw a few around Arica and a few more around Vina del Mar - best looks were on the Michael Jackson Rock at Vina. Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) - seen most days along the coast and inland water bodies, even above 4,000 meters: a very adaptable cormorant! Rock Shag (Phalacrocorax magellanicus) - seen regularly along the Straits of Magellan with the best views coming near Punta Arenas.

21 RBT Trip Report Chile Guanay Comorant (Leucocarbo bougainvillii) - a normally abundant Humboldt species, we had good views but only saw a few around Arica and Vina del Mar. This is one species that has extensive die-offs in major El Nino years such as this one. Imperial Shag (Leucocarbo atriceps) - first seen at Puerto Montt and then large numbers along the Straits of Magellan included big nesting colonies at the piers in Punta Arenas. New World Vultures - Cathartidae Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - incredible numbers in the coastal areas of the far north and a handful in the central region. Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) - common in the Lake District. Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) - an impressive beast - we had a distant bird at Belen and then four overhead at El Yeso. Kites and Hawks - Accipitridae White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) - a pair south of Santiago. Chilean Hawk (Accipiter chilensis) - an unbelievable encounter with this shy raptor at Altos de Lircay - a bird swooped in and landed on an open perch right in front of us and sat there staring down at the recorder that was playing out a huet-huet call 2 meters below it! Some members of the group also saw a Chilean Hawk swoop through while we were playing the other huet-huet call at Puyehue. Cinereous Harrier (Circus cinereus) - a very attractive harrier, we saw 3 at Batuco and 5 in the Pali Aike area. By far the best encounter, however, was at Seno Otway where an adult came flying in low over our heads and then pursued a Buff-winged Cinclodes. After numerous twists and turns, the harrier grabbed the cinclodes mid-air and carried it off! Harris s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) - a few seen in the Lluta Valley and a few more at La Campana. Variable Hawk (Geranoaetus polyosoma) - regular sightings of this raptor in open areas throughout the country - it is indeed really variable! Black-chested Buzzard Eagle (Geranoaetus melanoleucus) - an immature flew overhead at La Campana and an adult soaring against a hillside at Seno Otway. Rails and Coots - Rallidae

22 RBT Trip Report Chile Plumbeous Rail (Pardirallus sanguinolentus) - brief sightings around the reed beds at the Maipo estuary and on the shores of Laguna el Peral. Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) - quite a few seen at coastal wetlands in the Arica area. White-winged Coot (Fulica leucoptera) - a single near Arica was our first sighting, there were a few more in Valparaiso-area wetlands and then hundreds in the Maule Valley. Andean Coot (Fulica ardesiaca) - great views of a pair at sea level at Camarones was a surprise, about 200 distant birds at Lake Chungara were more expected. Red-gartered Coot (Fulica armillata) - the abundant coot on central region wetlands. Red-fronted Coot (Fulica rufifrons) - small numbers at the Maipo estuary and Batuco Lake. Giant Coot (Fulica gigantea) - good numbers on ponds and lakes up in Lauca - a massive coot that we enjoyed watching as they tended to their equally massive nests! Thick-knees - Burhinidae Peruvian Thick-knee (Burhinus superciliaris) - a fantastic encounter with 3 roosting birds in the Azapa Valley. This localized species barely makes it into Chile. Magellanic Plover - Pluvianellidae Magellanic Plover (Pluvianellis socialis) - after a longer than expected walk along a saline lake on Tierra del Fuego we were finally rewarded with one of these superb birds foraging right in front of us. Bird of the trip for many and a new family for all! Oystercatchers - Haematopodidae Magellanic Oystercatcher (Haematopus leucopodus) - regular encounters of this localized species in the far south included some displaying birds. Blackish Oystercatcher (Haematopus ater) - regularly seen along rocky coastlines - mainly around Arica but also Valparaiso and Punta Arenas. American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) - common in coastal areas from Arica to Puerto Montt. Stilts and Avocets - Recurvirostridae White-backed Stilt (Himantopus melanurus) - abundant and noisy in central-region wetlands.

23 RBT Trip Report Chile Andean Avocet (Recurvirostra andina) - great views of 5 birds at Salar Surire proved our only ones. Plovers - Charadriidae Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) - abundant in central and southern regions. Andean Lapwing (Vanellus resplendens) - 3 en route to Salar Surire and another 1 in Lauca. American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) - a single bird seen well at the Lluta River mouth. Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) - a single bird at the Lluta River mouth. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) - a flock of 25 at the Lluta River mouth. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) - restricted to the Lluta River in Chile where we saw a few, including chicks. Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) - 3 at the Lluta River mouth. Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris) - singles at the Maipo estuary and Laguna Batuco. Puna Plover (Charadrius alticola) - good views of a pair at Salar Surire proved to be our only ones. Two-banded Plover (Charadrius falklandicus) - a stunning little plover that was common on the steppe around Porvenir and Pali Aike. Rufous-chested Plover (Charadrius modestus) - a stunning and much-wanted bird - we scoped up one at Seno Otway and that was our only one! Tawny-throated Dotterel (Oreopholus ruficollis) - we had great looks at several of these gorgeous dotterels on the Patagonian steppe around Pali Aike, in fact we ended up seeing about 50 of them during our long drive. Diademed Plover (Phegornis mitchellii) - undoubtedly one of the most-wanted birds of the trip. We easily found pairs at pin-cushion bogs at Lauca and El Yeso which in both cases were incredibly tame and allowed excellent observations and photography. The second bird at El Yeso was particularly memorable. Seedsnipes - Thinocoridae

24 RBT Trip Report Chile Grey-breasted Seedsnipe (Thinocorus orbignyianus) - a few en route to Salar Surire included a pair with chick, also seen at Lauca and best views at El Yeso where several males were sitting out on rocks uttering their wonderful calls. Least Seedsnipe (Thinocorus rumicivorus) - a pair near Porvenir included a displaying male and then a few more at Pali Aike. Snipes and Sandpipers - Scolopacidae South American Snipe (Gallinago paraguaiae) - 3 birds at the Maipo estuary. Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) - we were fortunate to find 5 at the Maipo estuary. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) - many hundreds seen at coastal areas from Arica to Puerto Montt. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) - 20 at the Lluta river mouth and 2 at Laguna Batuco. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) - common at central region wetlands, especially Laguna Batuco. Willet (Tringa semipalmata) - about 100 roosting on the rocks at Arica. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) - a handful around Arica. Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) - common in rocky areas of Arica and Valparaiso. Surfbird (Aphriza virgata) - about 50 on the rocky coastline of Arica. Sanderling (Calidris alba) - lots at the Lluta River mouth and a single at the Maipo estuary. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) - considered rather rare in Chile, 15 at the Lluta River mouth was a good count; a flock of 50 at the Maipo estuary is probably unprecedented. Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) - also considered rare in Chile, there were 3 amongst the peeps at the Lluta River mouth. Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) - 2 birds at the Lluta River mouth. White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) - a single bird at the Lluta River mouth surprisingly proved to be our only of the trip as we failed to find any in the far south. Baird s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) - lots of opportunities to observe this extreme longdistance migrant - largest numbers were seen at Salar Surire and on the Patagonian steppe. Wilson s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) - Clive scoped a single bird at Laguna Batuco. Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) - reasonable views of 3 on the Valparaiso pelagic.